Best Served Cold
by peppymint
Summary: Revolution Fic: It is sometimes easy to forget how Kenshin became a swordsman to begin with. Battousai though has neither forgotten or forgiven.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one_

_Thank you to everyone who voted in my poll_

_You helped a bunch. And sorry it took me so long to start_

_Updates should be once a week or so. _

**Prologue**

"Next."

The scarred man couldn't have looked more intimidating if he tried. Tall, burly, and dressed head to toe in dark armor. One of his hands hovered over the hilt of his katana as if he expected the children to pull out knives and attack him. The 'not all there' look in his eyes just made things worse. Some samurai got that way. Too many battles and they never really came all the way back.

Shinta flinched, clinging more tightly to his older sister's hand as the scowling visage passed over them. He wanted his Mother, with her kind eyes and gentle hands, but she wasn't there. She would never be there again. Neither would his Father, or his older brother. It was just him and Ai now.

The double doors swung open and the pair walked through, stopping a respectful distance from the lord. Clenching his hands into fists, the small redhead did his best to bow as Ai had instructed him. However, he wasn't sure how well he had done.

"Senju-sama," the older child greeted, not raising her gaze from his feet. She knew the score. Two children could not hold a household together. Fact. Simple fact. But that didn't stop the teenager from hoping. Maybe, just maybe, the lord would be merciful. Surely couples had lost children when the disease swept through the area. Perhaps someone would be willing to take them in. It was not to be.

Hmm, the man made a thoughtful sound as he considered the children. "The girl can be trained as a maid," he said as though the two orphans were not even in the room, signaling the scribe to record his decision. Some of the woman at the castle were getting up there in years. "But the other . . ." His voice trailed off.

"You," Senju snapped after a moment of silence that seemed far longer than it actually was. The tone of his voice causing Shinta to jump. "Look at me boy."

Hesitantly the five year old raised his head to meet the other's gaze. Revealing a pale heart shaped face and deep violet eyes. He shifted uncomfortably as the adults stared, but even at his young age knew better than to look away. They were nobles, and he was only a peasant.

The lord gasped. He had never seen such eyes. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful, and combined with that hair. Then he smirked, it was not a pleasant expression. "Call Gono," he ordered, already imagining the wealth this transaction would bring him.

_Noo! _Terror swept through Ai's body. Not him. The teenager knew about Gono. Knew exactly what happened to his so called merchandise. "Please my Lord," she choked dropping to her knees. "Please don't sell my brother. I'll do anything. Anything." Being a slave of any kind was bad enough, but this . . .

She resisted the urge to hurl as Senju's lecherous gaze roamed over her immature body. Even with the faint tremors that wracked her frame and the dark circles under her eyes, an aftermath of the sickness that had nearly claimed her life, it wasn't hard to see the promise of beauty hidden beneath.

The lord hesitated. It was tempting, very tempting. But not quite as good as the money he could get from the brat. Besides, there was nothing stopping him from ordering the chit to his bed later.

Unconsciously he lipped his lips, feeling the first stirring of arousal. He had always liked his women young. However, this was not the time. Business before pleasure as they say. "No," Senju decided, leaning back on what was basically a small throne. "I think not."

Ai forgot herself. Rushing up the steps to grab the older man by the sleeve. "You can't! He's only a . . ." She never finished her sentence.

"Get your filthy hands off me peasant!" Senju caught the girl with a vicious backhand. A blow which lifted her frail body completely off the ground. She hit the stairs hard, rolling down the last few steps. But the girl said nothing. She didn't scream nor did she so much as twitch once she had come to a stop. After a moment, it became clear Ai didn't even breath.

Her brother was at her side instantly. "Sister?" too small hands cradled the still head. "Sister, wake up." The older, more experienced, Kenshin would have known there was nothing to be done. Weakened as she was, the thirteen year old girl had died instantly from the fall. Her neck snapped like a twig.

"Ai," the boy shook her again, more desperately. "Ai!" Soft violet eyes flooding with tears as he realized the truth. He was alone now, completely alone. Shinta didn't really understand what his sister had been so upset about. He was too young. But he did know it must be bad.

The boy screamed as a man grabbed him around the middle, roughly dragging him away from the body of his last family member. The only one besides himself to survive the cholera that had swept through their small village. "Let go of me!" he shouted, gaining nothing but a rough slap to the face for his troubles.

"Be careful not to leave any marks," came the callous voice of his sister's killer. "We don't want to drive down the price. Looks like his don't come cheap."

Shinta twisted in the guard's grasp to glare at the lord. "I'll kill you," he snarled, only half aware of what he was saying. A hint of amber appearing in the dragon like orbs for the very first time. "Kill you!"

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_It occurs to me I have made Senju an even bigger bastard than I meant to_

_Oh well, that just means I don't have to feel bad about setting Battousai on him_

_Also, for those who don't understand the last bit_

_In some myths dragon's eyes were said to change color due to their moods_

_Hope you enjoyed and please review_

_A happy writer is a busy writer_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one_

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed_

_Have done some editing to the prologue so check that out if you want_

_Otherwise, on to the next chapter._

**Chapter One**

"_Kill You!"_

Kenshin awoke to find himself on his feet, blade in hand. There was no doubt in his mind that if someone else had been in the room, they would be dead right now, such a thing had almost happened before. Needless to say, people had learned pretty quick to knock before entering. Which was why the redhead was always given his own space, no matter how crowded things got.

Besides, the hitokiri thought somewhat ruefully to himself, no one would be willing to bunk with him anyway. Taking a deep breath to calm his heartbeat, Kenshin sheathed his katana in a practiced motion, before sliding down the wall of books that served as his bed. A soft sigh escaped the teenager's lips as he leaned forward to rest his head on his knees.

It was a sign of weakness Kenshin would have never allowed himself if others had been present. His comrades might believe that it was his god-like speed that kept him alive in a profession that killed most within months, or perhaps the pure strength hidden in his deceptively small frame. The redhead could not say they were entirely wrong, those things helped a great deal, but that wasn't all it was.

Hitokiri Battousai was a legend. The Demon of Kyoto. A warrior whose eyes glowed like fire and whose hair was stained crimson with the blood of his victims, and who struck with a power no human could ever hope to match. Not even remotely accurate, Kenshin knew, especially the part about him being ten feet tall. However, in circumstances such as these, the myth was just as important as the man, if not more so.

The swordsman had lost count of the number of opponents who had flinched upon seeing him. Who had hesitated to draw their own blades, certain they were about to die. It didn't give Kenshin all that much extra time, a second at most. In battle though, a second can be an eternity, two eternities when the fights aren't one on one.

Of course, being a legend did come with its own set of disadvantages. The seventeen year old had never been enthused with the way the men he fought to protect shied away from him. Seriously, it was as if they expected him to spontaneously draw his sword and start slaughtering everyone within reach. Casual conversation ceased whenever Kenshin entered a room, and he always dined alone.

Kenshin had thought about trying to reach out to them, but, his last attempt had not gone so well to say the least. Casualties included, but were not limited to, one dead spy whom he had thought was his friend, one deceased wife (he winced again at the thought), and more wounds than he had acquired throughout the previous year combined. No, the teen decided, it was better to keep his distance.

Glancing out a small window, the redhead saw it was still dark outside. Great, he rubbed his eyes. He was still tired, at the same time though, Kenshin knew trying to go back to sleep was pointless. He would be better off mediating.

Nightmares were nothing new to the assassin, but this one, his jaw clenched, it had been years since he had dreamed of that day. It was no mystery what had brought it on either. Ichiro Senju had thrown his support behind the Shoganate in the form of men, supplies, and funds. That wasn't all that surprising. After all, the lord's current lifestyle would be difficult, if not impossible, to maintain in the world the leaders of the rebellion hoped to create.

The fact Senju had personally come to Kyoto though, well that was like a gift from on high, from the kami themselves. From what Kenshin had heard, and remembered from his earlier years, his former lord was too much of a coward to put himself in a situation that was even remotely dangerous. Perhaps, the redhead mused, his old enemy thought he was too small a fish to attract negative attention from the Ishin Shishi.

Honesty, Senju was right about that. The man was far down the list of threats his commander would want neutralized, that is to say dead. Kenshin however wasn't about to let this opportunity pass him by. After all, the teenager had given his word, and he always kept his promises.

It was later that evening when the perfect moment to share his personal plans presented itself. The room went completely silent as Battousai rose from his place at the back of the room, approaching the head table with the effortless grace only a skilled swordsman possesses. "Katsura-sama," he bowed low, placing his sheathed blades on the ground between them.

"Himura," the older man returned the greeting with a nod of the head. Eyes searching the redhead's face for some hint of what his bodyguard was thinking. Furthermore, why had he approached him here? For all to see? He would have gladly granted Kenshin a private audience if that was what the younger man desired.

Unknown to the other however, the hitokiri wanted this to be public. "I would ask a boon my lord."

The room caught its breath, whispers breaking out. Battousai had served the Ishin Shishi faithfully for years, carrying out assignments no other would dare, and never once had he asked for anything for himself. Katsura leaned back in his chair, pursing his lips briefly. "Make your desire known Kenshin Himura, and it is yours." He didn't really have to think about his response. Above all things, the assassin was loyal.

Amber eyes flashed. "The life of Ichiro Senju, Lord of Kofu."

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_Well there you have it_

_Also, please no flames about how Senju did not rule Kofu_

_I made up the name and then randomly choose a Japanese han_

_That is why it is called fiction_

_I cannot afford to spend my limited internet time doing research_

_Though I do enjoy reading the fiction of those who can_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one_

_Sorry, sorrysorrysorry_

_I can only claim writer's block_

_Most of this was actually written about two weeks ago_

_But, to put it bluntly, it sucked, and I refused to post it without a thorough editing_

**Chapter Three**

In theory, anything said within the confines of the Ishin Shishi Headquarters was considered privileged information, in short, a complete secret. In practice however, any group that large was bound to have at least one spy in its midst, possibly more. Given this information, it is unsurprising that by the end of the week, the whole city knew Battousai had claimed the life of the Lord of Kofu as his own, which was exactly what Kenshin had intended.

Under normal circumstances, the redhead preferred to keep his kills clean. A number of them hadn't even seen him, or it, coming. One quick blow and it was all over. Kenshin didn't take joy in the suffering of his targets, _his_ _victims _a darker voice whispered. But this was not heaven's justice, this was vengeance.

Of course, in this case everyone included the hitokiri's intended target. Senju would have had to have been deaf and dumb, not to mention blind not to notice how everyone they passed on the street suddenly melted ten feet back. Not to wonder why his men suddenly had so much trouble acquiring basic services, such as food and lodging.

No one wanted to be in the line of fire, and they definitely didn't want to get on Battousai's bad side. If was almost amusing how many servants the man had lost once word got out. Some of them giving the flimsiest of excuses as to why they really must leave right now. Kenshin's favorite was the one involving a kitsune, a priest, and and a task of vital urgency that must be completed post haste in order to dispel the dreadful curse the youkai had cast upon him. Though why a demon would be interested in a lowly manservant had gone unexplained.

Honestly, it had taken the admittedly founded rumors longer than Kenshin intended to get back to the Lord of Kofu himself, who predictably went screaming to the Shinsengumi , begging for protection. The redhead didn't mind. A few more days made no difference to him either way, he had time, and if nothing else the teenager's training as an assassin had taught him patience.

At first, the Shinsengumi , especially the captains, had been confused. In spite of the rumors and stories that were whispered in the dark corners of Kyoto, they knew Battousai wasn't a demon. The redhead wasn't even all that bloodthirsty. He was simply loyal, and had the misfortune of being very good at his job. The whole situation simply was not like him at all.

"As you said," Okita commented softly, taking a sip of his Jasmine tea. "Battousai's recent actions are uncharacteristic to say the least. What I find interesting though, is that everyone is commenting about that, and not about Senju-sama."

His comrades paused as they considered the captain of the first squad's words, a couple of them feeling really dumb. The hitokiri was acting strange, ergo something was affecting him. The evidence stated that in all likelihood that something was the Lord of Kofu. Conclusion, this was personal. Battousai wanted the man to be afraid.

Though what exactly the lord had done to offend the assassin so much they had no idea. It had been a source of constant frustration, not only to the Shinsengumi , but to all the forces that served the Shogunate that Battousai's past before joining the Ishin Shishi was a complete blank. They had no idea if he had any family, his exact age, or where he had come from.

Not even where Himura had learned his sword style. The sole mention any of them had been able to find about Hiten Mitsurugi was in some legend from the feudal era. It was as though the redhead had simply appeared out of nowhere, fully, okay mostly, grown.

"This still begs the question," one of the others said at last. "What do we do?"

Under other circumstances, the Shinsengumi would have denied the lord's request for aid entirely. They were far too busy to devote resources to the protection of one minor official. Really, Senju's only real value was bait, not that the leaders of the group would be so undiplomatic as to tell him so. And bait had never worked well in snaring the Ishin Shishi's premiere assassin. It just ended with a few more extra bodies, that was all.

But, they were curious, so they assigned Hajime Saito to accompany him. Another man would have been relieved at this. The captain of the third squad was after all one of the few who had crossed blades with Battousai and lived to tell the tale. Not Senju though, instead he complained that he wasn't being assigned the entire squad.

By the end of his first day on the job, Saito was beginning to understand why the redhead hated the other so much. By the end of the third day, he started to hope Battousai would hurry this up instead of drawing whatever game the other was playing. And by the end of the week, he was about ready to kill Senju himself, not that he would, but oh, it was tempting.

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_Just one chapter to go, and don't worry, it won't take nearly as long as this one_

_Battousai is eager to chop Senju into bitty pieces. If I don't get cracking, he may take it out on me._

_Please review. I value your thoughts and it makes me a happy person seeing the little number increase._

_Oh, and to any Thor fans. I have been writing a fill for one of the prompts over on the kink meme._

_So keep an eye out, I will cross-post it here once it is finished. By my reckoning, it is about half done._


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one_

_Especially not RK, if I did the last movie would not have happened_

_Really, he goes through all that and then they kill him off through disease_

_Anyways, back on subject. It has been a productive day_

_I washed clothes, washed dishes, cleaned entire kitchen_

_Went shopping, learned tamazight word for noodles_

_Made tomato sauce which is cooling on counter plus banana juice_

_Oh, and I finished this story, which is really the only part you care about_

**Chapter Four**

". . . and really, what kind of coward strikes from the shadows anyways?"

Saitou could feel his teeth grinding, as well as the start of what was sure to be the migraine from hell. He had only thought the Lord of Kofu was annoying before. The days when Senju had been jumping at every strange sound and eying everyone around him with suspicion had been vastly preferable to this.

The obese man laughed, a shrill sound that was almost a giggle. "I can't believe I was so foolish as to actually believe the talk of drunken samurai." He sniffed, snapping a fan open to cool himself. "No doubt Battousai's reputation is highly exaggerated."

A flicker of familiar ki from a darkened ally up ahead lifted Saitou's spirits immensely. The swordsman coming to a stop as he lightly rested one hand on his sword. "You will have the opportunity to tell him so." That is, assuming the other had the courage to do so. Personally, he doubted it.

Senju did not scream as the slender figure stepped out into the road in front of them, but it was a close thing. The sound that did emerge from his throat causing the edges of the assassin's mouth to lift slightly. "Greetings Senju-sama," the redhead somehow twisted the title into an insult. "It has been a long time."

The lord's thoughts raced. _They had met before? When? How? _Mind stuttering to a stop as Battousai lifted his head to meet his gaze. Red hair was uncommon in Japan, but not unheard of. Those eyes though, he remembered those eyes. "Y-you," Senju stuttered.

Kenshin's expression became a true smile, though not a nice one. "Why so surprised my lord?" he inquired softly taking a step forward. "I swore I'd kill you one day." The teenager tilted his head to one side thoughtfully. "As I recall, you laughed."

Senju was not laughing now. "You, you did this for me?" Up until today, he had never given the boy he sold into slavery a second thought. Well, other than a regret he had been unable to sample the wares. Though right now, his libido was the last thing on his mind.

Golden eyes flashed with fury. "You think highly of yourself," Kenshin nearly snarled. "That I would dedicate my life to the likes of you." He pulled out his off hand from behind his back, tossing a spare katana to land with a clatter at the obese man's feet.

"I Kenshin Himura, student of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, the Honorable Sword of the Flying Heavens challenge you Ichiro Senju, Lord of Kofu to a duel," he dropped into the stance that had given him his name. "The prize is your life."

Senju threw a helpless look at Saitou, looking ready and willing to hide behind the other man. Hajime on the other hand, seemingly had absolutely no intention of intervening, at least, not before it was over. "He can't do this," the lord cried. "He's, he's nothing but a peasant!"

"Your talking to the wrong person," Kenshin told him pleasantly. "For all they serve the Shogunate, the Shinsengumi have always been more interested in a man's skills than his caste."

The lord swallowed hard. "P-please Battousai-san. It was an accident," he eyes darted to and fro, looking desperately for some avenue of escape. There was none. "I, I didn't mean to kill her."

Now Kenshin did snarl. "But you did," he hissed. "Tell me Senju-sama, do you even remember her name?"

"Of course I do," the other blustered. "It was, it was . . ." _Kuso! Of course he didn't recall what the chit was called._

"My sister's name," the assassin said after a moment of silence, voice unnaturally calm. "Was Ai," and it had suited her perfectly. "Now pick up the blade," he ordered. "Or I will cut you down where you stand."

Saitou raised both his brows, slowly exhaling as he filed the information away. So that was it. He could not argue Battousai did not have reason for this fight. He did not move as the lord clumsily lifted the katana, or as the redhead's attention turned his way.

"If you would be so kind taicho?" Kenshin asked, addressing his enemy with far more respect than he had his intended victim.

The dark haired man merely nodded, taking the appropriate position. Pulling a white handkerchief out of one pocket and raising it high into the air. Then, he dropped it. "Begin!"

This time Senju did scream, rushing his opponent wildly. It wasn't the smartest thing to do. One move to disarm him, another to take his head, a quick flick to clean the blood off the blade before sheathing it and it was all over.

Kenshin turned to face Saitou squarely, not even bothering to look at the corpse of the man he had just killed. Senju didn't deserve anything from him other than that which he had already delivered. "Well," the teenager said, the only indication he had been in a fight being the few drops of blood on one sleeve. "Shall we?"

Saitou considered it briefly before shaking his head. His orders had been to discover the reason behind the assassin's odd behavior, and he had done so. Now he just needed to report back to his superiors. Perhaps now that they had a starting point they would finally be able to piece together just where this man had come from. "Another night Battousai."

The other nodded, slipping back into the shadows. Two of the most dangerous men in Kyoto going their separate ways, neither of them bothered. After all, there would be other nights.

_Finis_

_And it is done, thank goodness_

_Random question though_

_Has anyone else been having trouble with livejournal since they updated the site_

_My computer no longer loads it, and it has been what three weeks now_

_I will be posting the norsekink fill I was writing here_

_it is just annoying that I can't get there_

_if you know what I mean_


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